If it’s May, it’s time for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board to start ironing out the budget for the next school year.
After establishing a preliminary budget earlier this year, school board directors held a hearing on the proposed final budget during a May 2 session. There will be more discussion on the proposed budget during the May 9 work session and the one in June before a final vote on June 20.
The current proposal calls for total revenues of $82.4 million with expenditures of just less than $82.6 million. There is also an uncommitted fund balance of $3.3 million to offset the shortfall, according to district Business Manager Bob Cochran.
As has been the case for several years, taxes will be increasing for district property owners. District school taxes will go up 2.82 percent, from 26.99 to 27.75 mills in Chester County. For Chadds Ford Township property owners — the only district township in Delaware County — the increase will be 3.15 percent, bringing the millage up from 22.89 to 23.61 mills. (A mill is a tax of $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.)
“That represents to the average residential assessed value around $200 in both counties,” Cochran said.
The difference in millage rate hikes between the two counties, he said, is that counties reassess based on different base years. Chester County uses 1996 as its base year, but Delaware County uses 1998 for its base.
The weighted average of the increase is 2.88 percent. While the Act 1 limit this year is 2.4 percent, the district can take advantage of the exception dollars used for special education and the teachers’ retirement fund contribution to avoid a referendum.
Cochran said that based on other revenue sources — state and federal — the district needs to get 78.5 percent of its revenue from property taxes.
Expenditures in the proposed budget are $3.2 million more than last year. Cochran said that is based on an increase in salaries — $2.2 million — and benefits — $888,000. Those benefits include the contribution to the teachers’ retirement system, which now makes up 50 percent of benefit costs.
The combination of salaries and benefits makes up 72.92 percent of the budget.
Of the salaries, 65 percent is for classroom specific education,” Cochran said, “and an additional 12.9 percent for the support staff.”
The remainder is for administration, building and grounds, transportation, coaches and crossing guards.
According to Superintendent John Sanville, the proposed budget reflects an investment in the children. It focuses on reducing class size, on teacher development and on increasing use of technology.
“It does these things while recognizing the commitment of our community, through dollars, to provide for our children,” Sanville said.
He called it “fair and reasonable” and “brings resources to our children in the classroom.”
The board can make changes to the proposal, but the directors will vote on approving the proposed final budget on May 16 at Pocopson Elementary School, then vote on the budget as final during its June 20 meting in the district office.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
Approximately 70 percent of U.S. residents take some type of prescription medication every year, and the three most prescribed drugs in the U.S. in order of volume are antibiotics, antidepressants, and opiates, such as oxycodone, according to national law-enforcement statistics.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, the largest drug threat now comes from prescription drugs and heroin, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Opioids, such as oxycodone, now represent the most abused prescription drugs in the country. In 1998, 11.5 tons of oxycodone were produced worldwide. By 2010, 122.5 tons of oxycodone were manufactured, with more than 80 percent consumed in the U.S.
The dramatic increase has prompted law enforcement officials throughout the region to take steps to reduce the abuse.
On Tuesday, May 3, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan and Delaware County Councilman Dave White were joined by representatives from Acme supermarkets and Adapt Pharma to announce that all Acme pharmacies in Delaware County now carry Narcan® nasal spray, the lifesaving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
A drug user, a relative, or a friend can get a prescription from their family doctor to have in case of an emergency or they can use the Pennsylvania standing order, a prescription written for the general public by the Pennsylvania physician general. To access it, click here.
On Wednesday, May 4, at 1 p.m., Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan will be speaking at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg as part of a panel to address the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania. Hogan will be representing the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association.
In the meantime, police urge residents to take advantage of the increasing number of receptacles available at police stations for dropping off unused or unwanted medication anonymously. Doing so prevents the medications from getting into the hands of those who might abuse them, particularly children and young adults. In addition, it keeps the drugs from ending up in area waterways, which is another growing problem.
Flowers donated by Longwood Gardens greet guests at the celebration of Frolic Weymouth's life on Friday, April 30, at the Brandywine River Museum of Art.
To advocates of scenic vistas, he was a beloved benefactor who also possessed a penchant for sending Christmas cards out of season, serving scrapple disguised as an elegant hors d’oeuvre, generating infectious laughter, and living life to the fullest.
An image of George A. ‘Frolic’ Weymouth’s painting ‘The Way Back’ greets visitors on the wall at the Brandywine River Museum of Art.
On Saturday, April 30, George A. “Frolic” Weymouth, a visionary conservationist, peerless philanthropist, acclaimed artist, and accomplished sportsman, was laid to rest. He died on Sunday, April 24, of complications from congestive heart failure at Big Bend, his historic Chadds Ford residence. He would have turned 80 on June 2.
Gathered to bid farewell, invited guests watched as one of Weymouth’s signature four-in-hand carriages carrying a hearse with his ashes pulled up to the chapel at Big Bend for the funeral. The building, constructed in 1995, includes this inscription: “This chapel was built to thank God for a wonderful life filled with fun, humor, work, sport and beauty. A close loving family; loyal and unique friends, and a fabulous son, Mac.”
Virginia A. Logan, the conservancy’s executive director, said the inscription spoke volumes about Weymouth’s values and character, as did the memorial service.
“It was beautiful and very fitting,” said Logan, adding that she believed Weymouth did much of the planning. “He really was prescient,” she said. “He could always see the big picture, and because of that, he was always at the vanguard of getting things done.”
She said Timo Weymouth, Frolic’s cousin and a member of the Orpheus Club of Philadelphia, led three uplifting songs that set an appropriate tone the night before. Thomas Padon, director of the Brandywine Museum of Art, echoed Logan’s sentiments.
Padon said the funeral not only enabled mourners to feel “Frolic’s generosity and kindness,” but it also provided a way to help his loved ones deal with their grief. “It was a beautiful, beautiful service – poetic and meaningful,” said Padon. “You could see so much of Frolic in it.”
A message at Hank’s Restaurant in Chadds Ford shares the sentiments of many in the community.
For just shy of 50 years, Weymouth nurtured the Brandywine Conservancy, which he co-founded in 1967 and served as board chairman until his death. Its holdings grew from its initial preserved tract of 47 acres in Chadds Ford to more than 62,000 in Chester and Delaware counties.
In 1971, one of the conservancy’s purchases, an 1864 gristmill, evolved into the Brandywine River Museum of Art, which is renowned for its collection of Wyeth and American Art. Museum officials interrupted their mourning last week to install a special exhibition in Weymouth’s memory.
The exhibit features nearly 20 Weymouth works, including a portrait of his grandfather, Eugene E. du Pont; his mother, Deo du Pont Weymouth, who was also the subject of a 1964 portrait by Jamie Wyeth; and his longtime companion, Carlton Cropper. A portrait of his sister, Patty Hobbs, was a gift to his parents on their 50th anniversary.
The show, which will run through June 6, was installed in half of the Andrew Wyeth Gallery, marking the first time that paintings by the two artists, who were dear friends, are displayed together, museum officials said.
Logan pointed out that the conservancy’s former executive director, James Duff, worked with Weymouth for more than 40 years, most of them as executive director. “I only got 4 ½,“ she said, “but I still feel so lucky. He had a way of making serious work fun.”
On Friday, April 29, mourners attended what Logan described as a celebration of life followed by a party that likely would have made Weymouth smile. Among the offerings were vintage Frolic specialties: martinis served with three olives and scrapple served with style.
Logan said scrapple was a mainstay of Weymouth’s entertaining. “He took great pleasure in making it look like an elegant hors d’oeuvre” and then getting people’s reaction before and after they learned what it was. “That was part of his charm,” Logan said.
Frolic Weymouth is shown mixing his love of art, equestrian pursuits, and lush landscapes. Photo by susangrayart.com, courtesy of the Brandywine River Museum of Art
John Snook, a senior planner for the conservancy, said the speakers, who included painter Jamie Wyeth, kept the crowd laughing with their colorful reminiscences.
Logan said people flew in from Europe to pay their respects. “We had a luminary-filled guest list,” said Logan. But she stressed that although Weymouth developed close ties with numerous celebrities, including royalty, “he treated everyone he met royally.” The people he valued most were the ones who accomplished what they promised “without self-importance,” she said.
Snook said he experienced Weymouth’s inclusiveness soon after he was hired 31 years ago, but the day he met Weymouth might have initially suggested otherwise.
Snook recalled interviewing with the late Bill Sellers, who headed what was then the Environmental Management Center, and a couple of trustees, who all kept telling him: “Frolic is running late, but he’ll be here soon.”
At the time, Snook said he knew next to nothing about Weymouth, but he got a quick primer when Weymouth finally arrived breathless from the Philadelphia Airport. He had just supervised the loading of all the equipment he would need for a carriage date with Prince Philip in England, including horses, coach and 16 hatboxes.
“I remember being astonished that someone did this,” said Snook. “I would have thought that you’d borrow what you needed once you got there.”
Since that time, Snook said he witnessed countless examples of Weymouth’s generosity, graciousness and sense of fun. “He treated you like royalty even if you were an ordinary middle-class person,” said Snook.
Duff traveled from Maine to attend the celebration and funeral. He called Friday night’s festivities an amazing event that involved about 400 people, all of whom admired Weymouth enormously and spanned several generations.
“Frolic always loved a good party; Frolic was a people person,” Duff said.
A selection of photographs by Jim Graham are put on display at the Brandywine River Museum for Friday night’s celebration of Frolic Weymouth.
Duff recalled a brainstorming session in the late 1970s that gave birth to the iconic river rat pin, which has been sold for decades in the museum shop. Duff said the conservancy was organizing its first $7 million endowment campaign and wanted an appropriate token of gratitude to distribute to anyone who donated $50,000 or more.
Unfortunately, no one contributed that amount; however, the campaign still met its goal and the river rat became a symbol of the conservancy’s environmental preservation efforts. Duff said both he and Frolic wore them constantly. “If I didn’t have one on, I would have been disgraced,” he joked. “We ended up selling thousands in the [museum] shop.”
Duff noted that without a guest list, thousands would have likely shown up for the party as well as the funeral. “It would have been totally unmanageable,” he said.
A couple thousand did visit the museum over the weekend, said Padon, adding that there will be several upcoming opportunities to experience Weymouth’s lasting legacy.
Padon said guest books would continue to be added as they get filled up so that people can write messages. He said some recurring themes have emerged. “The same words keep popping up: charm, spirit, vision, passion for the arts, community – as in his role in creating a tight community,” said Padon. “Whether it was the trustees here or people at Hank’s [restaurant], Frolic really pulled everyone together.”
Logan said a special tribute to Weymouth would be featured in Catalyst, the conservancy’s magazine. And in addition to the guest books, visitors are welcome to leave notes that the museum will forward to Weymouth’s family.
For those unable to visit the museum, memories and comments can be shared on the museum’s website, and many have availed themselves of that opportunity, remembering an environmental pioneer for his convivial spirit, his myriad kindnesses, and his enduring impact.
Sir Paul Nicholson noted that he met Weymouth in 1966. “Over the years I was to enjoy his wonderful hospitality and sense of humour fortified by his mint juleps but he was much more than just a great coachman,” Nicholson wrote. “Her Majesty’s favourite portrait of her husband Prince Philip, painted by Frolic, hangs in a prominent place in Windsor castle.
DJ Pierce, a friend of Weymouth’s son Mac, wrote that “Frolic was indeed the proverbial life of the party – even when that party was for 6-year-olds … I’ll never forget how he created a carnival-themed birthday party for Mac, and he did outrageously fun things,” such as making whipped cream pies to be thrown at his face, which peeked through a carnival cutout…
Lawyer William H. Lamb, a former state Supreme Court justice, called Weymouth “a truly remarkable man – a man for all seasons.” He also treasured his outrageously funny Christmas cards, which sometimes arrived in July.
Barbara A. Maletsky, a chef, said she has had the honor of cooking for dignitaries, celebrities, Presidents, governors, even Kings and Queens, “but none of them tickled me like cooking for you.”
As the tributes have rolled in, another repeated theme involved Weymouth’s proclivity for deflecting credit, Padon said. “Whenever someone would thank him, he would always say, ‘I didn’t do anything’” and suggest others had made the achievement possible. “That modesty, that humility was genuine,” Padon said.
Logan said Weymouth’s vision extended to a shrewd succession plan. In September, the conservancy’s board of trustees elected Morris W. Stroud II, a fellow artist with longtime family ties to preservation, as co-chairman. Logan said he and Weymouth spent countless hours together since. “Frolic felt confident that he had his team in place, the ones privileged to carry it [conservancy] forward,” Logan said.
And Weymouth will feature prominently in that progression.
Logan said 2017 would be a festive year that celebrates both the 50th anniversary of the conservancy as well as Andrew Wyeth’s 100th birthday. In addition, a major retrospective of Weymouth’s work is planned for 2018.
The guest curator for the exhibit will be Joseph Rishel, a Weymouth friend renowned for his expertise as the longtime curator of European painting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “He’s one of the foremost curators in the world,” said Padon.
Rizzoli, a prestigious New York company, will publish the accompanying book for the exhibition. “As modest as he was, I think he was delighted,” said Logan of plans for the exhibit.
In the meantime, the Weymouth works currently on display offer an insightful preview of what’s to come, she said.
“It’s sad when you lose someone so iconic,” Snook said. But he added that because so many people at the conservancy had worked with Weymouth and understood his vision, his influence would undoubtedly continue.
“The stories will change,” said Snook. “Over time, they will likely become legendary.”
Philip Ralph Griffin Sr., 80, of Landenberg, died Monday, May 2, at his home surrounded by his family. He was the husband of Shirley F. Wooten Griffin, with whom he shared 60 years of marriage.
Born in Landenberg, he was a son of the late Joseph Harry and the late Violet Elizabeth (Simmers) Griffin.
Ralph was a mill worker at NVF, retiring after 47 years of service.
He was a fine carpenter, a perfectionist, could build or fix anything, and built the home he lived in his entire life. He also enjoyed working on cars, fishing, camping and traveling. In the 1960s, he was a volunteer fireman for Kennett Fire Co.
Survivors include in addition to his wife, one son, Philip Jr. and his wife Diane of Croydon; one daughter, Dawn Darlene Hill and her husband David of Landenberg; two sisters, Leona Mayfield of Dagsboro, Del. and Nellie Sluder of Wilmington, and five grandchildren, David Hill Jr., Philip III and his wife Karston, Theresa Griffin, Christine Griffin and Joseph Griffin. He was predeceased by 14 brothers and sisters.
You are invited to visit with Ralph’s family and friends from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 5, and 10-11 a.m. Friday May 6, at Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home Inc. (610-444-4116) 250 W. State St. Kennett Square, PA 19348. A funeral ceremony celebrating his life will follow at 11. Interment will be in Union Hill Cemetery in Kennett Square. Contributions in his memory may be made to Kennett Area Senior Center, 427 S. Walnut St. Kennett Square, PA 19348. To view his online tribute and to share a memory with his family, please visit www.griecocares.com
Birmingham Township’s 2016 Road Program is moving along smoothly, according to township roadmaster Dave Rathbun, but it’s going to come in over budget.
Rathbun told supervisors during their May 2 meeting that most of the work is finished and that all should be completed by early June. The projected cost right now is $228,000. The township had $225,000 budgeted. But that $3,000 overage will increase.
According to Rathbun, more work is needed on Knolls Road and Heartsease Drive, and a signal box at Route 926 and Birmingham Road needs to be moved. The additional costs will add another $17,000 to the bill.
Supervisors’ Chairman John Conklin said this is the year Birmingham can go over budget on the project since snowplowing costs this past winter were light.
In connection with moving the traffic signal box — which Conklin said has to be done because it’s frequently hit by vehicles — the board authorized the township engineering firm, Vandemark and Lunch, to act as its business agent in working with PennDOT to move the box.
Other business
• The board authorized the placement of a temporary event sign on Creek Road in connection with the Brandywine Conservancy’s Sept. 17 Bike Along the Brandywine.
The conservancy’s Meredith Mayer said the signs would go up in the vicinity of the meadow used for public parking during events at the Chadds Ford Historical Society. They’ll be put up in June and stay up until the event.
Mayer said the conservancy would contract with police for traffic control on the day of the ride. There will actually be two rides, one of 40 miles and the other of 80 miles. All riding will be on state roads that are part of Bike Route L and follow both branches of the Brandywine, starting and finishing at the Historical Society.
• Supervisors also agreed to allow Radley Run Country Club to hold a fireworks event on July 3. Country Club General Manager Joe Mendez said the event would be the same as last year.
Police Chief Tom Nelling said there were no complaints during last year’s event.
• Conklin, citing the success of the 2014 reenactment of the Battle of Brandywine, asked for, and received, support in principle from the other supervisors for a possible reenactment in September 2017, to coincide with the 240th anniversary of the battle, which was fought mostly in Birmingham Township. Details are to be worked out later.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
After nearly 20 years of involvement with the Pennsylvania Home of the Sparrow, CEO Patricia McLennan has announced that she will retire from the organization at the end of this year.
“Being a part of this organization, partnering with the women and children who have come through our programs and working alongside the kindest people in this community, have been among the greatest experiences of my life,” said McLennan in a press release. “But it’s time for a new leader to grow the organization even more so we can make homelessness in this community something of the past.”
Founded in 1994, Home of the Sparrow, an Exton-based nonprofit, partners with women facing homelessness to secure housing, achieve long-term stability, and chart new paths for their futures.
McLennan became a Home of the Sparrow board member and treasurer in November 1996 and was nominated president in 1999. In 2000 she became CEO, and through the years has significantly increased the organization’s revenue – from $85,000 to $1.3 million– as well as the numbers of women and children served every year, increasing from 10 to more than 430, the release said.
“While we will all dearly miss Pat’s leadership and friendship,” Emily Interrante, Pennsylvania Home of the Sparrow’s board president, said in the release, “we are confident in the knowledge that the organization is the strongest and most active we’ve ever been. It’s a tribute to her hard work and dedication that we will move forward with the knowledge that our capacity to serve women and children is ever-expanding.”
McLennan will remain with Home of the Sparrow through December 2016 to ensure a smooth transition for her successor. In preparation, the board of directors has established a Search and Transition Committee to find and hire a new CEO. The O’Connor Group will aid in the search. For inquiries about position, contact Evelyn Zilch at the O’Connor Group at ezilch@tocgrp.com or 484-254-6295, ext. 701.
A 911 call on March 1 that began with a suspicious vehicle ended with the arrest of seven alleged members of the Felony Lane Gang, a notorious identify-theft ring that has been wreaking havoc nationwide.
Ron Linville (from left), president of PA APCO, is shown with Chester County telecommunicator Jon Kromer, assistant supervisor Todd Ziegler, telecommunicator Mark Bynum, telecommunicator Heather Lindner, and APCO executive board member JJ Mcfarlan.
In between, the incident traversed two counties, several major state roadways, and more than 12 miles. It lasted nearly 30 minutes, and now members of the B Platoon of the Chester County Department of Emergency Services (DES) have been recognized for their efforts that day, according to a county press release.
The group, which consists of county DES telecommunicators and supervisors, was named the 2016 Team of the Year by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials. PA APCO presents annual awards to public safety communications personnel, recognizing those who have demonstrated the highest levels of performance.
County officials gave this account: On March 1, B Platoon was on duty when a 911 caller reported suspicious vehicle activity in Tredyffrin Township. Township police arrived at the location, and the incident rapidly escalated into an extensive vehicle pursuit, travelling on Route 202 and the Schuylkill Expressway.
B Platoon was called in to coordinate information among law enforcement agencies, including the Pennsylvania State Police Belmont Barracks, Pennsylvania State Police Aviation Unit and PennDOT Traffic Control Center. The team’s actions assisted in the apprehension of the seven suspects, the release said.
“This incident is an example of the high level of service provided by this well-trained, highly motivated team of telecommunicators and the teamwork among all of Chester County’s emergency providers,” John Haynes, deputy director for Chester County 911 Operations said in the release. “We are pleased that PA APCO chose to recognize their efforts by naming them 2016 Team of the Year.”
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
